Northern Philippines on a Shoestring — Self-Launched
8 days · Northern Philippines
G Adventures charges £720
No-markup version: ~£420 per person
Estimate only, not a guaranteed price. Always verify costs independently before booking.
An 8-day self-launched version of G Adventures' "Northern Philippines on a Shoestring" (trip code APNY), covering Manila, Baguio, Sagada, the Batad rice terraces homestay and Banaue — all by public bus, jeepney and on foot, exactly as the original tour travels. You book your own guesthouse beds, arrange your own guides in Sagada and Batad, and overnight on the Ohayami/Victory Liner night bus back to Manila. Costs are rough backpacker estimates per person; meals, optional activities and tips are extra. Sunglasses on, rice terraces ahead.
Day-by-day
Arrive Manila
Manila
Land at NAIA and get yourself to a budget bed in Ermita, Malate or Makati — hostels and simple guesthouses run £8-15/night for a dorm or basic twin. Skip the airport coupon taxis and walk out to the main road for a metered white taxi (roughly PHP 200-300, about £3-4) or use Grab. Spend the evening easing in: a walk along Roxas Boulevard to watch the Manila Bay sunset, and dinner at a carinderia (PHP 120-200). Sort cash at an ATM and buy a local SIM (Globe or Smart, ~PHP 300 for a week of data).
🚌Metered taxi or Grab from NAIA (~£3-4)
🛏Hostel dorm or simple guesthouse, Ermita/Malate (£8-15)
- →Roxas Boulevard sunset walk
- →Carinderia dinner
- →Buy local SIM and withdraw pesos
Manila to Baguio
Baguio
Take a Victory Liner or Genesis bus from Cubao or Pasay to Baguio — 5-6 hours on a deluxe aircon coach for roughly PHP 500-700 (£7-10). Book a dorm or budget guesthouse near Session Road for £10-15. On arrival, do your own orientation loop: Burnham Park, the Baguio Cathedral, and the public market where you can pick up strawberries and pinikpikan. Baguio is at 1,500m and cools down at night — bring a light fleece. A one-hour massage in town costs about PHP 400 (£6).
🚌Victory Liner/Genesis bus Manila-Baguio, 5-6 hrs (~£8)
🛏Budget guesthouse or hostel near Session Road (£10-15)
- →Burnham Park and Cathedral orientation walk
- →Baguio public market
- →Optional massage (~£6)
Baguio to Sagada
Sagada
A long travel day, exactly as the original does it. Take the morning bus from Baguio's Dangwa station toward Sagada/Bontoc (GL Lizardo or similar, roughly 6-7 hours, PHP 450-600, ~£7-9) over the Halsema Highway — one of the most scenic mountain roads in the country. Check into one of Sagada's many family-run guesthouses (£8-12 for a dorm or basic room). Sagada is a small town, so just walk it: the Anglican church, the Echo Valley trailhead, and pick up your Sagada Environmental Guide Association (SEGA) guide for tomorrow's activities.
🚌GL Lizardo/van Baguio-Sagada, 6-7 hrs via Halsema Highway (~£8)
🛏Family-run guesthouse or hostel dorm, Sagada (£8-12)
- →Halsema Highway mountain scenery
- →Sagada town walk and church
- →Book SEGA guide for next day
Sagada: Hanging Coffins, caves and falls
Sagada
Your Sagada day, self-arranged with the SEGA guide cooperative at the town hall. Hire a local guide for the Echo Valley hanging coffins walk (guide fee around PHP 500-800 split between a few travellers, plus small entry fees). In the afternoon, either take the Bomod-ok Falls hike (the 'Big Falls' trek through the village of Bangaan, entry around PHP 510 including guide share) or explore the Sumaguing/Lumiang cave connection with a spelunker guide. Lunch at a local eatery. This is the day the original leaves free, and it's the highlight of the trip.
🚌On foot; optional hired tricycle within town
🛏Family-run guesthouse or hostel dorm, Sagada (£8-12)
- →Echo Valley hanging coffins with SEGA guide
- →Bomod-ok Falls hike (entry ~£7)
- →Optional Sumaguing cave connection (~£10 with guide)
Sagada to Batad via Bontoc (homestay)
Batad
Travel Sagada to Bontoc by jeepney or minivan (about 45 min, PHP 60-100), then take a Bontoc-Banaue jeepney or van (1.5 hrs, PHP 150-200), then a tricycle or jeepney up to the Batad junction at Poblacion, where you walk 45 minutes down the trail into Batad village. Book a homestay in Batad in advance through your guesthouse or on arrival — expect a simple family room, shared bathroom and home-cooked food, roughly PHP 700-1,000 per person including dinner and breakfast. The Ifugao hosts will cook local rice, vegetable and chicken dishes; ask about a cultural performance with the village elders (often arranged informally, small donation expected).
🚌Jeepney Sagada-Bontoc (~£1) + jeepney Bontoc-Banaue (~£2) + tricycle to Batad junction (~£2) + 45 min walk
🛏Ifugao homestay, Batad (£8-12 including home-cooked dinner and breakfast)
- →Village walk into Batad
- →Ifugao homestay dinner
- →Optional cultural performance with elders
Batad to Banaue
Banaue
Hike back up to the road, then take a jeepney or shared tricycle to Banaue (30-40 min, PHP 150-200). Settle into a budget guesthouse or homestay overlooking the valley (£8-12). Use the free afternoon to trek along the Batad rice terrace trail if you didn't do it on day 5, or head to the Banaue Viewpoint for the classic postcard photo of the terraces. The terraces were carved by Ifugao ancestors over 2,000 years ago and are UNESCO-listed — walk them slowly and respectfully, and don't skip the local cafes for rice coffee.
🚌Jeepney/shared tricycle Batad junction-Banaue, 30-40 min (~£2)
🛏Budget guesthouse or homestay, Banaue (£8-12)
- →Batad rice terraces trek
- →Banaue Viewpoint
- →Village cafes and rice coffee
Banaue to Manila (overnight bus)
Banaue / overnight bus
Free day in Banaue to trek more terraces, visit the older terraces of Bangaan, or just rest and eat. Then hop the overnight bus back to Manila — Ohayami Transport or Victory Liner both run night services from Banaue to Manila (roughly 9-10 hours, PHP 700-900, ~£11-13). Book this a day or two in advance at the terminal or online, since seats sell out. Say goodbye to the mountains and sleep on the bus.
🚌Ohayami/Victory Liner overnight bus Banaue-Manila, 9-10 hrs (~£12)
🛏Overnight bus (sleeper-style recliner)
- →Bangaan terraces walk
- →Last rice terrace views
- →Book overnight bus ticket
Arrive Manila
Manila
Arrive in Manila early morning, dump your bag at a hostel or day-storage locker and make the most of a few hours. Free or cheap options: the National Museum of the Philippines (free), the Ayala Museum (PHP 425, ~£6), or a walk through Intramuros and Fort Santiago (entry ~PHP 75). Grab lunch at Binondo — the world's oldest Chinatown — for a proper food crawl. Then head to the airport: allow 2 hours in Metro Manila traffic, and expect a Grab taxi to NAIA for about PHP 300-400 (~£4-6).
🚌Grab/taxi to NAIA (~£4-6)
🛏None (departure day)
- →National Museum (free)
- →Intramuros and Fort Santiago (~£1)
- →Binondo food crawl
Self-launched vs. G Adventures
| This itinerary (self-launched) | G Adventures | |
|---|---|---|
| Price per person | ~£420 | £720 |
| Duration | 8 days | 8 days |
| Who books it | You and your group, direct | Tour operator, guided group |
| Savings | £300 per person (42%) | |
Estimate only, not a guaranteed price. Always verify costs independently before booking.
Want to see more G Adventures-style trips? Check them out here.~£420
estimated per person
You never pay Travel Crew for this — you pay hostels, transport, and activity providers directly, the same as if you'd booked it all yourself.
This publishes your dates so other travellers can find and join you — no tour operator needed.
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Frequently asked questions
How much does Northern Philippines on a Shoestring — Self-Launched cost?+
Doing it yourself with this self-launched itinerary costs an estimated £420 per person for 8 days in Northern Philippines. This is an AI-generated estimate based on typical budget-traveller prices — actual costs will vary by season and how you book.
Is this cheaper than booking with G Adventures?+
Yes — G Adventures charges around £720 per person for a similar tour. Doing the same route independently, using the same standard of accommodation and activities, costs an estimated £420 — a saving of roughly £300 (42%) per person.
How long is the Northern Philippines trip?+
This itinerary runs 8 days, covering 8 day-by-day stops through Northern Philippines.
How do I join this trip?+
You can join an existing open departure using this itinerary if one is scheduled, or launch your own departure with your own dates and invite other travellers to join you — no tour operator required.
Isn't it easier to just use a tour operator?+
Well, yes, a tour operator will book all the individual parts of your travel for you and provide a guide. That's obvious, but doing this has the potential to save the group thousands, which can in turn improve your itinerary substantially or save you huge amounts of money. Also, when you launch a departure, Travel Crew has tools in place to help you book the individual sections of the trip or make it easier for you to do this as a group. Really, you do not need a middle man. If you are more comfortable paying more and using a middle man, then you should certainly do this.
Is it safer to book through a tour operator?+
Arguably, there isn't much difference. A self-launched trip runs on the same principle as a group travel crew: collective responsibility, everyone looking out for each other, the same way it would if a group of friends organised the trip themselves — because that's exactly what's happening. You should always take out travel insurance before you go, self-launched or not; that doesn't change either way. Every open departure is published publicly with real dates and a real trip organiser, so it's never an anonymous arrangement, and our support team is reachable any time you need help, including in an emergency while you're away. Longer-term, we're building direct relationships with ground DMCs in popular destinations, offered as an optional paid add-on for extra on-the-ground support. Ultimately, though, the group is responsible for its own conduct and safety on a self-launched trip, same as on any trip you plan yourself.
What kind of trip is this?+
This is a adventure, culture, hiking trip through Northern Philippines, self-launched rather than run by a tour operator — you organise it with a group you find or bring yourself.
Would you like to name the operator, name the trip, or have any suggestions about how to improve this itinerary?
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